ResidentialPhil BartschWed 01 Jul 26
Zephyr Plots 18-Storey ‘Banksia’ Tower for Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point
Builder-developer Zephyr Group Queensland has pitched plans for an 18-storey residential tower for Brisbane’s inner-city Kangaroo Point.
The proposal dubbed Banksia is its second collaboration with Joe Adsett Architects, with a design inspired by its namesake native flora and integrating a 19th-century miner’s cottage.
Earmarked for a 1175sq m site at 127-133 Lambert Street and 30 Shafston Avenue, it would deliver 64 high-end apartments.
The evenly split mix of 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom units would sit above three basement levels and a highly permeable ground level featuring the heritage-listed Alpha Cottage adaptively reused as a manager’s office, mail room, and resident hub.
As well, the scheme integrates 1071sq m of communal open space—capped by a rooftop recreation terrace with a pool, private dining area, cinema, hot and cold spas, dedicated work-from-home spaces and a gym.
Parking space for 103 cars would be provided across basement and ground levels.
“Joe Adsett’s vision brings together architecture, landscape and heritage in a way that feels deeply connected to Kangaroo Point, while creating a distinctive new addition to Brisbane’s skyline,” Zephyr Group managing director Shane Winterton said.
Central to tower design is its biophilic facade, which eschews rigid lines in favour of undulating slab edges, deep private balconies, and cascading native greenery that replicate the textured layers of the indigenous banksia flora.
The extensive on-site landscaping—totalling 56 per cent of the site area—not only anchors the structure within its subtropical environment but also softens the arterial Shafston Avenue streetscape.
“The proposed development…is an architectural dialogue between the historic character of Brisbane’s inner South and the organic beauty of the Australian landscape,” a design statement said.
“Positioned to capture sweeping vistas of the Brisbane River and the city skyline, Banksia is designed as a landmark of sophisticated living that honours both its environment and its history.
“The integration of the existing heritage-listed miners cottage…creates a meaningful connection between the old and the new.
“This relationship is highlighted by an impressive architectural cantilever that works with the heritage roof line, providing a protective and dramatic gesture that bridges two distinct eras of design.
“The tower’s identity is defined by its feature facade, drawing direct inspiration from the banksia wildflower.
“These organic forms feature elegant downturns that create a rippling effect along the slab edges, transforming the structure into a cascading vertical forest.”
Zephyr Group previously team with Joe Adset Architects on its Palais Bulimba project, a boutique riverfront development nearing sell-out of its 13 apartments across two buildings.
